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SpokEasy

Food

Last Run

Last Run ⏩ I guess today was my last run to the salvage store before Christmas. If only I could ride, I’d probably go again next Saturday; but when I  have to beg for transportation, it’s different. I don’t want to ask for too much; so today is the last run for a while. Today I finally found medium cheddar cheese; and amazingly, ice cream was still on sale for 99¢ per carton. So I got two pints of Halo Top®. One is a half-chocolate, half-vanilla mix; and it’s wonderful with maple syrup on it! Cold Weather Plans ❄️ I must come up with my cold weather plans; and they begin tonight. The list includes cooking and cleaning. Tonight won’t be bad: low of 52, and calm wind. But from midday tomorrow, the temperature is going to drop; and tomorrow night, we can see freezing conditions. Windy, too! Ergo I want to get to an exercise bike tomorrow, because Monday I might not be able to tolerate the weather for a one-mile walk. I need some exercise, because today I didn’t get much. Then on Monday, I want to make a batch of Tardy Turtle; and I need to sort, rinse, and soak the black beans tonight. Come Monday, when I’ll probably be indoors most of the day, I really must vacuum. Cold weather plans can get weird; I usually just use a broom! This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Getting Festive

Getting Festive 🎄  I’m getting festive! Today I put up some cling-gel decorations. I don’t have an actual Christmas tree; but this will serve well enough. I’ll probably be able to reuse these decorations at least several times, too; unlike a cut real tree that’s done for once Christmas is over. I also got some gourmet goodies at the local specialty store; as if I didn’t already have enough candy put away for December 25! I decided to try some Swedish candies. They’re expensive, but worth it. That’s really getting festive! How to Dress? 🧥 🩱 Getting festive is all very well; but I still hardly know how dress from day to day. Will it be warm enough for shorts? Or will a cold snap push through, and force everybody to bundle up? December 25 is still too far ahead for a forecast; but I hope it won’t get too cold. Christmas is when I expect cold weather; but sometimes it’s in the 80s! This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Forget the Coyote

Forget the Coyote 🦃 Forget the coyote. If you want a “wile-e” critter, look no further than the wild turkey!  Supposedly Benjamin Franklin wanted the wild turkey as the United States’ national bird (see video at 8:40). Whether that’s myth or truth, the wild turkey is said to be an intelligent critter; and quite wily. That’s why I say, forget the coyote. On the other hand, domestic turkeys, so I hear, are literally too stupid to come in out of the rain. Maybe it’s a good thing it isn’t raining today! But it’s cold — for me, anyway. This morning the chill factor was 45 degrees! So I had an early feast; and I’ll go for a walk when it’s warmer. Early Feast 🍗 I had an early feast today — Thanksgiving breakfast, rather than Thanksgiving dinner.  Yesterday I cooked up ground turkey in tomato sauce; and this morning I put a cupful of it over a slice of sourdough bread. I heated it in the microwave, and put some shredded cheese on top. On the side I had cranberry sauce and garlic-stuffed olives. It made a good feast! I wish I could go for a bicycle ride to burn off some of those calories; but alas, my elbow isn’t ready yet. Physical therapy tomorrow; and now it’s time to consider Christmas gifts! This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Chill In?

Chill IN? 🧊 Chill in? Whatever happened to chill out? Well, I expect I won’t spend a lot of time outdoors tomorrow; so I’ll chill in. The overnight low temperature will be below 50 degrees; and the wind will be pretty strong. If I eat ice cream, I’ll do so in front of the heater! I won’t be able to get in any pedaling tomorrow or Friday, as the recreation center will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. I have physical therapy on Friday, though; and my elbow is getting close to being able to straighten all the way! Can I ride soon? Can I Ride Soon? 🚲 I guess I’ll have to ask the orthopedic surgeon, can I ride soon. Unfortunately, it’s over two weeks until my next visit with him. Until then, it’s chill out — or maybe chill in. I think I’ll wait until later in the day to go for a walk, when the wind won’t feel so cold. A runny nose is annoying enough when I’m on foot; and can pull out a tissue. When I’m riding a bicycle,  I can’t do that. I’ve got my Thanksgiving feast all planned. There was a cup of cooked, ground turkey in the freezer. I thawed it, and cooked it with tomato sauce; chopped onion; chopped red bell pepper; and some canned mushrooms. It’ll be great over sourdough bread, with a bit of cheese on top. I have whole-berry cranberry sauce; and Halo Top® ice cream. It’s too bad I can’t ride; because after all that indulgence, I’ll need some serious exercise! This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Clocks Back

Clocks Back ⏰ This past wekend was time to set the clocks back! I, for one, am glad to return to Standard Time. With Daylight Time it stays light too late in the evening; and mornings don’t look look like morning! When it’s time to set the clocks back, I do it the lazy way. I remove the batteries from the clocks; and set the kitchen timer for one hour. When it rings, it’s time to put the batteries back. The return to Standard Time means an extra hour to sleep; not that this is a big deal for me now. I don’t have to go to work; and I’m not ready to resume riding yet. I don’t seem to be ready for the kitchen just yet, either. Kitchen 🧑🏼‍🍳 I need to get back to the kitchen; my diet since the accident has not been good! I’m tired of  microwave meals; but the scar at my left elbow still feels the strain when I pinch-hold things — as when chopping zucchini. I don’t even have to  be pinching hard. Fortunately I can use some of my canned goods, because I have a I have a battery-powered can opener. I set it atop the can; press the button; and it goes around the can. This can opener removes the top of the can rather than cutting off  the lid; so there are no sharp edges. But no pull-top cans just yet! Unfortunately, cooking often means a pot to wash; and if it’s a big pot, I can hardly avoid some use of my left hand. My elbow’s not ready for that. Setting the clocks back hasn’t changed much; whether in the kitchen or elsewhere. This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Underway

Underway 🌌  My physical therapy got underway yesterday. We’re starting with some range of motion exercises; and we’ll see how it goes. You don’t have to tell me that riding is good; and I wish I could get out there and put in some miles. Even on days when I don’t feel like riding, I typically feel better once I’m underway. Our humidity is doing weird things. It dropped considerably during the day yeaterday; yet this morning it’s foggy. Humidity 💦 Humidity is a fact of life here; and as a result, hot weather tends to be sweltering. It’s foggy this morning; so I’m glad I won’t be driving! Chopping food is still difficult; holding the cabbage (or whatever) in place  as I chop it strains the sutures around my injured elbow. So I got lazy and placed an online order for frozen, microwaveable meals. That’s much more costly than preparing meals at home; and probably no cheaper than restaurant take-out. It will be good to get kitchen work underway again; but it won’t be for a while yet. 😞 This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Which Is It?

Which Is It? 🤔 Come on, which is it? Are we in for very windy weather; or not? If we are, Wind-Blox Pro are great for reducing wind noise; but the forecast keeps changing! About midday, I saw a forecast for “breezy” conditions tomorrow through next Tuesday or Wednesday. It said that gusts could reach 40 mph! Several hours later, that forecast had been taken down. So which is it? I guess I’ll have to play it by ear again! By Ear 🐰 Playing it by ear is rather galling when I want to plan for a long ride. If I don’t know when (or even whether) adverse conditions will arise, I don’t know whether I’ll need to cut the ride short. Will I need to stay close to home; or can I get away with riding out for 10 miles? Which is it? I’ll skip ear buds; I need to hear what’s going on around me, no matter what the weather. I’m a classical music fan, too; and the pieces I’d be putting on my playlist constantly change volume. I can’t be adjusting the volume all the time while riding. I might also want to stay rather close to home because —  if you’ll pardon the indelicacy — I’m on a course of antibiotics. That can wreak havoc on the GI system! I’m trying Activia to see whether it will settle things; and I hope it does! This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Weakening

Weakening 😩  Nobody wants weakening in their training scheme. We all like to get stronger and stronger, right? With the hope that Clif Builder’s bars will help! Who wants to be “weak as water”? Sometimes I’m glad to see weakening, though. Hurricane Erin’s winds have dropped from 160 mph to 140 mph; but she’s still a powerful storm.  She’s not expected to cross Florida and enter the Gulf. That’s good news for us; but the East coast could be in for a rough time. I sure feel for those in the storm’s path. Keep Going 🚲 Meanwhile, all I can do is keep going. I’m easing back into my regular riding schedule; and nudging my diet back on track.  Continuing to ride in the mornings is a wise idea. It’s a bit cooler then; and there’s a lower chance that I’ll get caught in a T-storm. Yesterday evening we had a humdinger of a T-storm; complete with heavy downpour and some very close lightning. The power kept going off; and that played havoc with my Internet connectivity. I couldn’t keep going with blogging; or social media; or watching videos. As I type this, I hear the mutter and grumble of thunder again. I hope the storm undergoes weakening before it gets here. I don’t want a repeat of last night! This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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More Minutiae

More Minutiae 📌 ⧾ I keep coming up with more minutiae to share. RAGBRAI has so much to it! As I watch others’ YouTubes about the 2025 event, I’m reminded of things that I already forgot. There was the Queen Anne’s Lace along the road. I wish we had it at home; it’s really pretty.  I  had forgotten “Team Baby” until I saw them in a video (about 24:40); then I remembered that I saw them several times along the route. In Minnesota, the road surface had an odd reddish tint. I think I saw that in Iowa, too. Day Three, was it, I found a big map where you could put in a pin to show where you’re from. Somebody had beaten me to New Orleans; but I added a second pin, anyway. “More minutiae” also includes sounds. Sometimes we were riding alongside bodies of water; and I heard some loud frogs! I also enjoyed hearing birds; and the sound of the wind in the corn. At least one morning was cool enough for me to start out in my cycling jacket. Inevitably, it got warm enough that I had to remove that jacket; and it took up a crazy amount of space in my Camel-Bak’s pocket. If only I hadn’t had to keep several prescriptions with me! Still Thinking about Food! 🌽 🥧 🌮 I’m still thinking about food on RAGBRAI. At least one video showed Our Grandkids Ice Cream. Then I remembered seeing it; but I had already gotten other ice cream. After all, I was trying to be mindful of the prediabetes. I had also forgotten about Cold Oatmeal, which I got once; I think it was in the very first pass-through town. It was OK; but to tell the truth, I prefer my own cold oatmeal made with yogurt; nuts; and dried fruit. Or frozen blueberries! Once I got some kind of avocado bowl; and of course there were bananas. I didn’t once get a pickle, though. I feel like I’ve missed out on something. And there’s still more minutiae! Seeing Things 👀 There were also times during RAGBRAI when I was seeing things. Many a time, I’d look at the crest of an upcoming hill; and think I saw a line of trees. Moments later, I’d realize that I was looking at a crowd of riders. That was sort of funny. Seeing things wasn’t so funny when I noticed big clouds building up; and I’d start worrying about getting caught in a T-storm on the road. I believe it did rain on Day Seven; but I was on the SAG then. I would have liked to see more of my spork. It was in my handlebar bag; and all too often I forgot to get it out when I bought something to eat. During the entire week, I used it only once.  If only I had been seeing things on the fourth night! Lots of lightning; and an absolute deluge. But it was only too real! This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Roll out the Kinks

Roll out the Kinks 😌 Roll out the kinks with these Massage Balls! You can get a massage in the comfort of your own home! Set of three balls: Orange (long, soft spikes); Yellow (medium-firm spikes); and Red (short, hard spikes). Their tennis-ball size makes them easy to carry; and allows you to target small, specific areas. Great for sore muscles after any ride!  While you roll out the kinks, enjoy some Muscle Milk. Its protein content helps to rebuild your muscles; each serving provides 25 grams of protein; and no sugar. Muscle Milk comes in Chocolate (shown); Strawberry; Cookies & Cream; and S’mores. This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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